Breakdown of در گذشته ساکنان اینجا کار میکردند، اما دیگر کار نمیکنند.
اینجاinjâ
here
اماammâ
but
درdar
in
گذشتهgozashte
past / last
Questions & Answers about در گذشته ساکنان اینجا کار میکردند، اما دیگر کار نمیکنند.
How does دیگر (digar) change the meaning of the second verb?
دیگر usually means "other" or "more", but as this lesson shows, it changes when paired with a negative verb. When placed before a negative verb like کار نمیکنند (they don't work), the combination means "not anymore" or "no longer".
Why does the past tense verb کار میکردند start with the prefix می (mi)?
Adding the prefix می to a past tense verb creates the past continuous tense. This shows that an action was a repeated habit or ongoing over a period of time in the past. Here, it translates perfectly as "used to work".
Why does the word for residents (ساکنان) use the suffix ـان (-an) instead of the usual plural ـها (-ha)?
While ـها (-ha) can make almost any word plural, Farsi has a specific plural suffix, ـان (-an), which is used for people and living things. ساکن means "resident," so ساکنان is a slightly more formal but very common way to say "residents."
Is there a hidden "ezafe" linking ساکنان (residents) to the location?
Yes, there is an ezafe (the connecting "e" sound) between ساکنان (residents) and اینجا (here). It is pronounced "sakenan-e inja" and translates to "the residents of here" or "the residents here".